Twisted
by Ember518
Summary: [AU] After a run in with Phantom in the cemetery, Valerie learns about the ghost boy's past, and he didn't die of illness, or natural cause... It was murder.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: You know the routine: I don't own Danny Phantom and all related characters. (Sigh)**

**Yay, another fic- I, mean, oh no, another fic!**

**And just when I thought severe Writer's Block for three stories were bad enough…**

**Oh and by the way, for those of you still reading any of my three fics, they may be redone or at least the first few chapters will.**

**Chapter 1**

"You're goin' down, ghost!" Valerie shouted. She raised a bazooka and fired at the pale ghost boy hovering in front of her. Half-heartedly, the ghost, also known as Danny Phantom, deflected it. Valerie had to steer her jetsled downward to avoid being hit by her own shot.

She'd been hunting ghosts for at least a year by now. Valerie had rid Amity Park of most of its most dangerous spectors, but the ghost boy seemed persistent. He would always reappear after every battle, and seemed to enjoy the next with immense pleasure. Valerie couldn't wait until the menace was banished from the town forever.

The two teens exchanged blasts, both green and pink. Valerie noticed today, though, that Phantom seemed to be slightly depressed. Once or twice Valerie could have sworn she heard him sigh dejectedly before forcing himself into the air again.

Half of Valerie was curious enough to want to find out what was causing the ghost boy so much emotional pain. Usually, during the battles he was actually playful, retorting comebacks, and smirking- a lot. Valerie scolded herself and tried to focus on the task at hand: destroying Phantom, but something _was _bothering Phantom, and she desperately wanted to know what it was.

Valerie was suddenly brought back to reality as she heard a pained moan. Turning, Valerie saw that one of her blasts had actually connected. Phantom lay crumpled on the ground, his breaths coming out in short gasps, even though ghosts didn't need to breathe.

Valerie descended to a hover and turned the dial on her bazooka to 'Obliterate' and took aim.

"Say goodbye, Phantom," Valerie retorted. She charged up her bazooka….

… but simply couldn't bring herself to Obliterate the ghost.

"Just do it,"

Valerie stared at the ghost boy. His head was down and his snowy white bangs covered his eyes. His face was set and emotionless, excluding a steady stream of tears trickling down his cheek.

"Valerie, dinner!"

Damon Grey's distant voice cut through the silence.

Valerie turned back to Phantom.

"Later for you, ghost," she scowled, knowing full well she was giving up the opportunity of a lifetime.

Phantom said nothing, but slowly faded out of sight. Valerie sighed and deactivated her black and red ghost hunting suit. The jetsled thinned and folded neatly into her sneakers. Without another word, she dashed back home, wondering why exactly the ghost boy was so depressed.

* * *

Valerie sighed for at least the millionth time. She needed some time to think, someone to talk to, someone she could trust.

The gate creaked open. Valerie silently stepped inside onto the overgrown wild grass. She passed various headstones as she walked by until she spotted a familiar one: Her mother's.

Valerie's mother had passed away while Valerie was still a toddler. The details were still foggy, but she vaguely remembered asking her father if her mother came home yet. By the age of nine, Valerie had learned of her mother's passing, and often came to the grave when she needed time alone.

Valerie kneeled onto the weedy grass. She silently stared at the weathered headstone.

"Ghost hunting's going great, Mom," Valerie started quietly. "I've gotten rid of some of the town's most hated ghosts, except that ghost kid. He seemed kinda sad today when I was fighting him. I wonder what's wrong with him. I really miss you a lot, Mom, I just wish you could be here." Valerie smiled slightlyand waited a moment beforestanding up and brushing the grass and dirt off her skirt. She froze suddenly, hearing a quiet noise.

It seemed to be coming from somewhere near the gnarled willow in the corner of the cemetery. Valerie crouched behind a wide headstone and strained her ears for another sound.

Slowly, she crept toward where she had last heard the noise. Soon it grew slightly more pronounced. It sounded like a stifled cry or sob. Valerie took a deep breath and snuck a peak behind the headstones.

It was the ghost boy.

* * *

**Wow that was short (and shmalzy). Actually I cut about half of it off for chapter two. Stay tuned! Oh ya, R&R!**

**P.S. Guess what? I'm twelve now! W00T! grins**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom and all related characters. (Sigh)**

**Thank you to all my reviewers! I thought it'd be just one or two stray reviews. To many writers, well me at least, reviews are like Spectra on misery. Eh, not a good image. I should find a better one.**

**Anyway, thanks for your patience. I've figured out some good cliffhangers and plot twists 'cackle' **

**Er… Anyway, introducing, chapter two! (Cue Spotlight! …Spotlight?) **

**Chapter 2**

Valerie leaped before she looked, figuratively. The shock seeing the ghost boy in a cemetery threw her mind into turmoil. Thoughts raced through Valerie's mind, along with at least a million new questions.

Before Valerie knew what she was doing, she found herself blurting out, "What are you doing here!"

Phantom's head whipped around. In the moonlight, Valerie could see glowing trails running down the spirit's face. Had the ghost boy been crying?

"Who's there?" Phantom called out. Even though his voice was slightly cracked, as if he'd been crying, but it was evident that the statement was meant as a warning.

Valerie stepped out from behind the headstone, trembling, ever so slightly though, and suspicious.

"Oh," he murmured, "It's you. I suppose you're here to Obliterate me, aren't you?"

"Fortunately for you, my weapons are at home," Valerie lied. She wanted to find out what was going on, and making chase with Phantom only to have him disappear eventually was not the way to do it.

Phantom gave a doubtful 'hmph' sound and stared at the headstone in front of him.

Valerie picked her way around various headstones until she reached the ghost boy. The spirit didn't acknowledge her presence, and ignored her as if he hadn't noticed that a ghost hunter had just knelt down beside him.

There was an awkward silence. Valerie played with the brittle grass beneath her and picked at the black hooded sweatshirt she had brought along.

"So," She started hesitantly, "Why are you here?"

"This is my final resting place," he replied simply.

Valerie had been fighting undead creatures for a good while now, yet somehow, that simple, soulless reply chilled her heart far more than any ghost she had ever fought.

He gestured grimly toward the headstone in front of him. Valerie read the weathered inscription on it:

_Danny Fenton_

_March 05, 1987 – June 25, 2001_

_You will be remembered,_

_Forevermore._

"Is, is that _you_?" Valerie asked.

Phantom gave a weak nod.

Valerie couldn't help but feel _a little _sorry for the ghost boy, but that soon evaporated as she realized he-

"It's not self-pity," Phantom said quietly, as if he just read Valerie's mind.

"No," Phantom sighed, "I'm only here to remind myself…" He choked on the next few words.

"…To remind myself that- that it was exactly five years ago that Death tore me from my family and friends, and I'll never see them again."

"That's your own fault," Valerie stated rather coldly, thinking that Phantom had died of illness, "You should've taken better care of yourself."

"It wasn't my call," Phantom answered bitterly. "I was murdered."

All the heat from the summer evening seemed to drain at that statement.

"W-what?" Valerie stammered.

"I was murdered," the ghost boy spat.

It was the last response Valerie had expected. 'The ghost boy? Murdered? Why? How? _Who?'_ She thought frantically.

"Oh," was all Valerie could manage aloud.

The two sat there in silence, suddenly broken by an unexpected outburst.

"You don't know what it's like, being dead!" Phantom cried out suddenly, "Not being able to eat, not being able to breathe, not being able to sleep, and your family and friends think you're a _monster_!"

Valerie sat there, bewildered. Here she was sitting in a cemetery with the ghost boy she so longed to destroy. It seemed days, no, _years _ago that she held a grudge on the ghost sitting beside her.

Phantom was looking away, and refused to meet Valerie's eyes. She wondered if he was crying silently. Begrudgingly, Valerie suddenly felt slightly remorseful for not realizing that the ghost kid actually meant no harm.

_Flashback_

_Titanium doors closed behind Valerie, her father, his employer, and three guards._

"_As promised," her father, Damon, was explaining, "This is the safest building in America."_

"_Excellent work," said Damon's employer, "Feel free to send me the rest of your bill."_

"_Which means I can replace this top!" said Valerie, gesturing at her coffee-soaked purple shirt._

"_It's nice to know we won't be using those smelly security dogs anymore," he continued._

_Suddenly loud barking filled the steel-reinforced halls, and the titanium doors slid up. A boy with snow-white hair landed in front of her. A giant green dog growled at the group._

"_What _are _you?" Valerie asked the boy, noting his weird ghostly aura._

_The dog, however, began shaking his head violently, its saliva landing on Valerie. She groaned as the gooey green substance landed on her hair and clothes. _

"_I'll tell you what I'm _not,_" said the kid, standing up, "Covered in dog saliva."_

_Valerie let out a frustrated yell as the dog rushed past. The ghost boy ran after it before she could further her response._

_Strangely enough, the giant dog and the boy seemed to phase right through the titanium doors. On the other side, Valerie could here crashing in the lab._

_The guards scrambled to the front, withdrawing their guns on the way. The last titanium door flew open._

"_Freeze!" the guards yelled. The green dog showed no signs of stopping. It pulled over a shelf, causing a domino reaction with the rest of the shelves. _

"_Cut it out, you stupid mutt!" the boy Valerie had seen moments ago yelled. He desperately clung onto the collar of the monstrous dog as it trashed the laboratory._

"_Don't worry," Damon said, activating the security procedure, "This state of the art security can stop anything!" _

_A sphere came out of the ceiling and started shooting lasers. Strangely enough, the boy and the dog seem unfazed, and the lasers seemed to shoott straight through them! The security methods were useless. The dog simply phased through the net that had sprang out, taking the boy with him. _

_Instead, the net headed for them. Before Valerie knew it, she was trapped in a net along with her father, his employer, and about four other guards._

"_Except a pasty faced teenager and his dog," her father's employer finished dryly. _

"_I'm… fired, aren't I?" said Damon._

"_You're not just fired," said the employer, "You're _ruined_."_

_End flashback._

Now that she thought back to it, the ghost boy really looked like he _did _have no control over that dog.

Maybe he _was _trying to help the town.

Valerie looked back at the ghost boy. He glared at the headstone as if he could take out all his hatred and anguish by glaring at the proof that he was dead. Valerie sighed.

"I don't know if it would make you feel better," Valerie started, quietly. "But my Mom died when I was really little."

"I'm sorry,"

"I never really got to know her," Valerie continued, "And my Dad's barely ever around. But I guess it feels the same as not being able to see your family and friends."

"I guess," Phantom murmured.

The ghost sighed, "Well you know what they say; Curiosity killed the cat. And me." He added sadly.

"What?" asked Valerie, confused.

"Well," The Phantom started hesitantly, "I guess it all ended for my human self five years ago at Mom and Dad's college reunion…."

* * *

**Sorry for the late update! I've been kinda busy with… stuff. Anyway hope you enjoyed!**

**The next chapter is a flashback from Danny. (Unless I change the plot, again.)**

**R&R!**


	3. note

**Note **

**Um, I'm using a Microsoft Word Trial version, and the trial period has ended/is ending soon, and school's starting in a week, so don't expect too many updates. **

**Thanks!**

**(cries in a corner)**

**P.S. For those of you reading 'Twisted', the third chapter's almost done. (yay)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi! Me again! I'm really starting to like this story.**

**Heh, anyway, here's chapter 3 (I think)**

**Oh ya, since most of the chapter is a flashback, I'm just going to be using regular font. I dunno about you, but italics give me headaches if I stare at them too long.**

**Chapter 3**

_Flashback_

Danny Fenton sat crammed in the Fenton Ghost Assault Vehicle next to his redhead sister, Jasmine, or Jazz as she preferred.

"Remind me _why _we're stuck in the RV for four days straight," Danny groaned. It was beginning to feel extremely hot, and Danny was tempted to open a window. That is, if he knew which switch was the right one. The previous attempt had caused a hose to suddenly drench Jazz in glowing ecto-goo.

_-Valerie had to stifle a chuckle at the thought of that –_

"Our best friend from college is throwing a college reunion," Jack boomed. "Maddie and I haven't seen him since the accident at the lab!"

"Accident?" Danny asked curiously.

"Vladdie and I were the best of buds in college!" Jack began, "Until the accident with the 'proto-portal'."

_Jack's Flashback _(A/N: Lol, a flashback in a flashback!)

"_I'm telling you Jackie," Vlad was saying, "It won't work."_

"_Bogus V-man, totally will!" Jack boomed confidently. "This Proto-Portal is bound to bust the wall into the ghost dimension!"_

_He and Maddie strode over to the counter. Vlad was eyeing the tiny contraption with badly hidden skepticism. Jack eagerly scooped up the Proto-portal's controls._

"_Jack," he heard Maddie say, "These calculations aren't right!"_

_But Jack had only eyes (and ears) for their invention._

"_BANZAI!" he yelled loudly, flipping both the switches on._

_The Proto-Portal instantly lit up with spectral light. He grinned as he saw Vlad step back in surprise._

_Then everything went wrong._

_Suddenly, a burst of energy shot forward, knocking Vlad back a few feet. Jack winced at the loudness of Vlad's yells of pain and surprise._

_The beam disappeared. Vlad turned around, his face disfigured and covered in swollen red bumps._

_Jack and Maddie gasped. Vlad's eyes grew wide with panic. He slapped his hands over his face, attempting to hide the bumps. _

_Jack and Maddie watched him run out of the room._

_End Jack's Flashback_

"He was hospitalized with a sever case of 'Ecto-Acne," said Jack, "We've never spoken since."

"But I'm sure after all these years he's finally forgiven me," he added.

'_Ten to one says he didn't,' _Danny thought dryly.

- - - - - - - - - -

The Masters' mansion turned out to be a giant gold and green castle.

The double doors opened. Vlad Masters in all his glory stood before him; His unnaturally silver hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he was dressed in a black suit. A red bow tie was clipped at the collar of the gray undershirt.

"Jack," was his brisk greeting, he turned to Danny's mother, "And _Maddie_! You look wonderful! Oh, and these two must be Jasmine and Daniel! It's a pleasure to see you all!"

Vlad extended a hand toward Danny. Hesitantly, he shook it.

- - - - - - - - - -

"We've spent years on this project," Vlad was now saying as they walked along a corridor, "It's taken us decades of research. Ectoplasmic energies are quite hard to manipulate, you know. But I believe we've finally gotten it correct."

'_You _believe' Danny thought incredulously.

Vlad stopped at a closed metal door. Danny could hear steady humming behind it.

"The children, I'm afraid, will have to wear safety suits as well," he said to Jack. "I would be absolutely _devastated _if anything happened to Jasmine and Daniel here."

"Of course, V-man!" Jack responded happily. He dug into one of the many pockets of his jumpsuit and pulled out two more.

"Great," Danny heard Jazz mutter, "We get to be crazy jumpsuit-clad freaks like Mom and Dad."

Danny cracked a smile and pulled on a black-and-white jumpsuit from his father.

Vlad turned to a small security feature beside the door handle. He swiped a card through the slit and a mechanical voice said, "Card accepted. Welcome, Vlad Masters,"

The thin door slid open.

Along the walls of the large room were huge pods with wires hooked to them. Each pod had a glass lid that was left opened. Obviously the place was still under construction.

"These are virtual reality pods," Vlad was saying, "The finished product should allow the user to virtually navigate the known parts of the Ghost Zone, but as a hologram. You will still be able to take samples of ectoplasm even in such a state. The equipment is designed to become solid as it is used."

Danny was quite impressed, if not a little curious. He moved a little closer to a nearby pod.

"I wouldn't do that, little badger," came a voice behind him. Vlad Masters placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "These aren't relatively safe yet, and we've had quite a few _accidents _lately."

Danny nodded, even though he thought the virtual reality pods looked quite finished to him. Perhaps he could take a peek when nobody was looking.

- - - - - - - - - -

Danny crept out of bed. It was the middle of the night, but he couldn't sleep. All day he wondered what it would be like, floating through a 'Ghost Zone', but ghosts couldn't hurt you. Danny lay awake imagining all sorts of possibilities: What the 'Ghost Zone' looked like, how it felt to be among ghosts, how it felt to be a hologram, what ghosts looked like. He wondered what it felt like to be a ghost. It was probably awesome; flying, walking through the walls, going invisible, just to name a few. Danny laughed at the last one. If Tucker could go invisible, it'd be obvious what he would do first.

Sneak into the Girls' Locker Room.

_-Valerie laughed at that. Even Phantom gave a weak smile.-_

Perhaps that was what he needed now. Ghost powers. It would be so much easier to sneak back into the room with the virtual reality pods…

Danny made up his mind. He was _definitely _going back to that room. Ignoring a foreboding feeling blossoming within him, he pulled on the jumpsuit (for safety), and tiptoed through the castle. (The Fentons were staying at Vlad's until the college reunion.)

It wasn't until he reached the lone door at the end of the corridor on floor two, did Danny realize the obstacle in his way.

The security feature.

How could he have forgotten about the security feature? Danny mentally slapped himself, or he would have, if he hadn't heard voices on the other side of the door.

_- "What did you hear?" Valerie asked, her curiosity aroused. _

"_I don't know," replied the ghost boy, "I can't remember, but I know it was important." -_

Danny had put an ear against the metal door to hear better.

Then without warning, he heard footsteps approaching. Quickly he backed up, hoping that Mr. Masters wouldn't be mad about him sneaking around the castle.

He had only taken a step back before the door slid open.

Instead of Vlad Masters, though, there was a tall, African American man with short black hair, thin, half-moon spectacles, and a mustache. He fiddled with his red tie nervously. At the sight of Danny though, his eyes widened, but he stammered rather calmly, "Plasmius, s-sir, there's a boy here,"

He didn't sound too nervous, but the message coming from his eyes was quite clear:

_Run, kid._

So Danny ran for it.

Unfortunately, he didn't get too far.

Danny felt strong arms grab him from behind. The next thing he knew, he was _flying _back through the corridor, heading for the door to the virtual reality pods. Danny braced himself for the crash.

Which never came.

He felt a chilling sensation take over him. It was as if he was riding down a steep hill on a roller coaster. As soon as the feeling had come over him though, it had vanished, and Danny was on the other side of the door.

"Skulker, what is the meaning of this?"

Danny looked up. Before him was a pale blue ghost dressed in a white suit and cape. His jet black hair was curved into two horn-like shapes. And to complete the Dracula look, the ghost had frighteningly red eyes and pointy fangs. Obviously, he was this 'Plasmius'

The ghost that had grabbed him was encased completely in what Danny assumed was a high-tech battle armor. Danny tried to struggle out of the ghost's grip, but the mechanical hands held him fast. The ghost caught Danny's stare and leered at him, revealing giant blocks, which probably were supposed to be teeth.

"This boy was caught eavesdropping on the other side of the door," the mechanical ghost, Skulker, replied.

"I-I just wanted t-to see the virtual reality pods," Danny stammered. Maybe they would let him go if he had an innocent reason.

"Ah, wrong place at the wrong time, then?" Plasmius concluded.

Danny gave a fearful nod.

"So young," Plasmius mused aloud, giving Danny a pat on the shoulder, "Such a pity."

He flashed Danny a badly feigned look of regret.

Danny could hear his heart pounding. What were they going to do to him?

"Shall I take him for a little 'accident' then?" Skulker asked, grinning. Danny's eyes widened and he struggled more vigorously, but to no avail.

"Unfortunately, yes," Plasmius sighed.

And before he knew it, Danny was being shoved into a virtual reality pod.

The pod's lid closed with a '_click_', and metal clamps snapped shut around his wrists, neck, and ankles.

Through the glass lid, Danny saw the African American man fiddling with the control panel beside the pod.

The last thing Danny saw was the look of remorse on the man's face.

Then the pain came.

White hot electricity. It was coursing through him now. It was as if thousand of knives were being stabbed into every inch of his skin they could reach. The pain was so intense, and Danny wasn't sure if he was screaming or not.

He probably was.

He thought of his mother and father and Jazz. He thought of his friends, Tucker and Sam. There were so many things he hadn't said. Danny wished he had said a better goodbye to them all. Especially Sam. He wished he'd confessed his true feelings about her sooner.

But now it was too late.

It felt like years, no, _centuries _before the pain finally stopped. He barely felt his numbing body. He barely felt the clamps release him. He barely felt himself fall forward onto the cold, unforgiving floor.

All he felt was the world slowly slipping away into a dark abyss and knew nothing more for a very, very long time.

_End Flashback_

Valerie was stunned. Throughout the tale, she kept trying to convince herself that it wasn't real. It was just a dream. Phantom was lying.

_Anything._

Then the awful truth hit her. Phantom was just a regular kid. He had a family, he had friends. And because of some stupid ghost he lost them all.

"I'm so sorry," was all she was able to muster.

She heard the ghost boy sigh in reply.

It was quite some time before either of them spoke. Each was lost in their own thoughts.

Phantom broke the silence.

"You know what's weird about death?" he said finally, in a somewhat strained voice.

Valerie looked up. The ghost boy was looking at her, a weak smile playing across his face.

"What?" Valerie asked quietly.

"Visiting your own funeral,"

And on that enigmatic note he faded from sight, leaving Valerie alone in the deserted graveyard.

- - - - - - - - - -

**Whew, finally done! Eight pages, W00t! I'm absolutely totally proud of this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. **

**School begins next, next Monday. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) **

**My first day of middle school. (In PA 6th grade's in elementary.)**

**Still, NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**

**Anyways, it's 1:00, I'm hyped on sugar, and I'm startin' da next chapter!**

**R&R!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the lateness, I've been extremely busy with…. More stuff. Anyway, everyone in the middle school who attended my elementary school got pulled out of tenth period yesterday. **

**On September 17, 2006, Shrewsbury Elementary School lost an outstanding grade 6 teacher, Mr. Nesselrodt. He was an awesome teacher, and will be remembered in our hearts forever.**

**Therefore, I dedicate this chapter to Mr. Jason Nesselrodt, one of the best teachers I have ever known. May his family recover from their loss. Best regards and heartfelt sympathy go out to them.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**Chapter 4**

The cheery morning seemed to contradict how she felt. During her run-in with Phantom, she seemed to see another side of him. One she never experienced during their usual fights.

Valerie couldn't help but feel guilty.

She wasn't up to going to school. Not after what happened last night. Valerie found it difficult to believe that she had been hunting the town's hero after all.

Thank goodness that today was a Saturday then.

* * *

Valerie made her way into the cemetery. Her father had explained he had a last minute business meeting and quickly rushed through the door with his briefcase. 

Valerie figured she could spend some time with her mother to clear her mind. And soon enough, she was sitting in front of the familiar, weathered gravestone.

"I had the weirdest night yesterday," Valerie began in the quiet tone she used when talking to her mother.

Valerie sat down in front of the headstone for quite sometime, voicing all her thoughts aloud.

By the time she was finished, the sun had been obscured by bleak, gray clouds. Valerie looked at her watch; it was an hour before noon.

Maybe she should get back hom-

Her ghost detecting watch was vibrating, alerting her that a ghost was near. Valerie narrowed her eyes.

Silently, she walked passed various headstones and graves, toward the far corner of the graveyard. Coincidentally, toward the same place she met the ghost boy the other night.

Slowly, she took out a ghost stinger. It was a tiny gun, and didn't hurt a ghost too much, but Valerie was afraid of misunderstanding a ghost's purposes.

Like she did to Phantom.

Trying to shake off the guilty thought, Valerie cautiously approached the specter, while also hiding behind a rather large tombstone.

According to her watch, the ghost was right in front of her. Valerie bit her lip and took a peek behind her hiding place.

And breathed out a sigh of relief.

It was the ghost boy. Apparently asleep (Did ghosts even sleep?). One leg was dangling off the branch of the willow; His arms were folded across his chest, and his head was bowed, so all Valerie could see of his face was his snow white hair. He looked rather relaxed, or at least, more relaxed than he was in battle.

Valerie crept closer, wondering if it was wise to wake a ghost in its sleep. Plucking up her courage, Valerie hesitantly called out, "Phantom?"

No reply.

"Phantom!'

_Still _no reply.

"DANNY!"

At this, Valerie heard him grumble something along the lines of, "Five more minutes, Mom,"

Then he rolled over, possibly because he thought he was in a bed.

Of course, seeing as how he was in a tree, he fell right off the branch.

'THUD'

"Ow…," Valerie heard Phantom moan. She couldn't help but crack a wide grin.

"Guess a ghost still needs his beauty sleep," Valerie teased as she helped the ghost boy up.

"Thanks," Phantom said, brushing off some grass. "About waking me up, I mean." He added.

"You _like _falling off trees?" Valerie asked.

"No, but I was having a weird dream about… Talking cabbages," Phantom replied dryly.

Valerie burst out laughing. The ghost boy joined in soon after. There was a pause.

"Are you done?" they both asked at the same time.

"No," was the simultaneous answer. And the two teens started laughing again.

"So, what brings you here?" Phantom asked when he had stopped chortling enough to form a coherent sentence. Valerie stopped laughing.

"I wanted to visit my mom," she said quietly.

"Oh, right," said the ghost boy, suddenly grim.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Valerie asked, trying to steer the conversation away. Phantom seemed to understand and quickly replied, "A lot of stuff, but I don't think the local ghost hunters would like me showing up in the middle of the mall, or something,"

"Oh, right," Valerie said. "What do _you _do for fun, then?"

"Nothing," Phantom replied, "I just sit in that old tree and think, or sleep. Sometimes I fly around town, but not too often."

Valerie smirked, remembering all the times she caught the ghost boy doing such and gave chase.

"That doesn't sound too fun," Valerie pointed out. Phantom shrugged.

"When you're a ghost, it's either set limits, or get fried." he said. Valerie chuckled and an idea hit her. Spirals of pink energy swirled around her until they dissipated, leaving Valerie in her ghost hunting suit. Phantom took a cautious step back.

"Relax!" Valerie laughed; she grabbed Phantom's arm and activated her jetsled. In two seconds flat, she was soaring in the air at mach 2, ignoring Phantom's protests.

He was, after all, still being dragged by the arm while flying high speed.

Valerie landed in a dark alleyway by her apartment. Her jetsled folded back into her shoes, and her outfit transformed back into casual wear. She grinned at the sight of Phantom, who was leaning against a brick wall trying to catch his breath, eyes wide.

"That," he panted, "Was _not _relaxing!"

"You said you liked flying around town," Valerie replied in an innocent tone.

Phantom muttered something incoherent.

* * *

Valerie opened her apartment door. She stepped in, feeling a slight increase in temperature. Valerie turned around; the ghost boy was still hovering at the door, a rather guilty expression written across his face as he pointedly looked away. 

"The house isn't booby-trapped if that's what you thinking," Valerie called to him. She knew full well he was feeling guilty about making her father lose his job and money so that they could only afford to live in a run-down apartment.

Nevertheless, Phantom took a tentative step forward. When nothing happened, he glided a bit more courageously toward Valerie, still looking at anything but her. Valerie sat down on a ragged green couch.

"I'm sorry," the ghost boy said quietly, looking out the window, "I didn't mean to make your dad lose his job, I just-"

"-Couldn't control that ghost dog," Valerie finished for him. "I know, and… I'm sorry too." She added slowly. "I guess I was so used of being treated like a popular kid that when I lost everything, I wasn't used to things being so different and… I guess I took all my anger out through ghost-hunting."

"And me," Phantom added.

"And you," Valerie amended with a slight smile.

"So…" Phantom said, "Why did we stop at your place?"

Valerie smile mischievously and dragged Phantom into her room, clamping an Anti-Ecto wristband on him to neutralize his ghost powers.

She then proceeded to bolt the door shut.

Phantom watched apprehensively as Valerie flung open her shabby closet and extracted a small suitcase from inside.

Powerless, he could only watch as the girl set the suitcase on the bed. After fumbling with it a few more (long) seconds, the lid popped open.

"Because," Valerie responded with a grin as she took out a small black spray can, "We're gonna have a little fun."

Phantom gulped. How ironic: He had fought some of the biggest, most powerful ghosts in existence; though somehow, that little black can was starting to seem a lot more scarier than any ghoul he'd seen.

* * *

**Awww, this chapter didn't turn out too good, (Cries) especially the ending. Hope you enjoyed anyway!**

**R&R!**


	6. Chapter 5

_**By request of a family member, I'm dedicating this chapter to my cousin Bobbie. **_

_**He was kind-hearted and courageous, and he fought off cancer… Even when the doctors told him he didn't have very long, a few weeks at most. He proved them wrong, though. He fought for years, and even through that he never stopped fighting until the end. He kept up his grades and was even accepted into Yale.**_

_**He died in January 2006, but even though he has left the mortal realm, he's still a symbol of courage and generosity to many. He hasn't really passed on, though…**_

…_**Because his legacy remains.**_

_**Thus, I dedicate this chapter of 'Twisted' to Bobbie and send regards to his family and friends in consolation for their losses.**_

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman. **

**Can you believe it? I'm back! After months and months and months…**

**Note: Before you jump to conclusions, there's probably going to be no pairings in this fic. Also, to the readers/reviewers who wondered why Danny was gonna be disguised exactly like his living self… Ah, just read and find out…**

**Chapter 5**

"Gotcha!"

"Ack! Gerroff!"

"Hold still- OW!"

"Yow! What the _heck_ are you doing?!"

"Trying to get you to hold still!"

_THUD_

"Oof! What was that for?!!"

"_Hold still!_"

"Get off!!"

_CRASH_

"_HOLD STILL!!!!!"_

"OW! Quit it!"

"_**HOLD STILL!!!!!!!!!!"**_

_Hissssssssssssssssssssssssss….._

"_OWWW!!! THAT WAS MY EYE!!!!"_

"Well I told you to hold still!"

A panting Valerie dropped the near-empty can of black hairspray on the hardwood floor besides an extremely irritated Phantom and tried not to laugh at how he now looked: She'd succeeded in spraying most of his hair raven black, though there were still some white patches in his hair. In all the chaos she had accidentally sprayed most of his face, and now resembled a very… _frazzled_ panda…

Or something of that sort.

"Do you realize you look like someone that got their lights punched out?" Valerie grinned.

The ghost boy grumbled, "And whose fault is that?"

"Yours," Valerie replied, "Now hold still, I'm gonna fix this."

Phantom reluctantly stood still as Valerie finished spraying his hair black.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, as she rummaged through the briefcase.

"Aha!" Valerie exclaimed, triumphantly holding up a small velvet box. She turned back to the ghost boy.

"I'm taking you to the mall; it's probably been ages since you last had any _real_ fun," Valerie answered.

Upon opening the box, she frowned. She'd used this box when she was younger to store colored contacts to use when playing dress-up with Star. Most of the delicate eyepieces had shattered…

"Is something wrong, Valerie?" Phantom asked. Valerie jumped.

"Oh n-nothing," She stammered, trying to get her heart rate back to normal.

Finally, she presented a pair of two sky blue contacts. Phantom blinked in confusion.

"Why do I need these?" he asked, puzzled, examining an eyepiece.

"In case anyone asks why you have _glowing_ green eyes," Valerie responded. She picked out a black hooded sweatshirt and dark blue jeans while Phantom carefully slid a contact into his eye.

She turned back to Phantom, giving a start when she saw how… _normal _he looked. The glow of Phantom's real eyes refused to be obscured, though; his stunning now blue eyes seemed to have an ethereal shimmer to them. Black hair, instead of white added to his façade, and Valerie was sure that if Phantom's body temperature wasn't so chilling (and if he wasn't dead), he could blend in as one of the teens of Amity.

He didn't look half bad either….

Valerie shook herself. What was she thinking? Phantom was _dead_, and had _been dead_ for at least five years. Besides, ghosts didn't have feelings…

…Right?

"You do realize," Valerie said aloud, forcing herself to sound indifferent, "That this is a one time thing, right?"

Innocent blue eyes met her gaze. Phantom sighed, "Yeah, thought so,"

He almost sounded disappointed…

Valerie averted her glance and pushed the bundle of clothing into Phantom's hands.

"The bathroom's on the right-hand side of the hallway," she told him.

* * *

Valerie sighed when Phantom left the room. She flopped onto her bed, thinking.

_What am I doing? _She asked herself. _I'm taking a ghost to the mall because I felt sorry for him. What if it was all just a lie? A hoax to get me to lower my guard? _

_It's a one-time thing._ Valerie assured herself. _I'll just keep those ghost bracelets on him so he won't hurt anyone. I hope. _

_But what if-_ Valerie's thoughts were cut off as she heard a scream and a loud _'Thud_' from down the hall.

_Danny!_

Quickly, she bolted into the hallway, stopping in front of the closed bathroom door.

"Phantom?" she asked cautiously. No answer. "Are you okay in there?"

Valerie was met with silence.

Then, slowly, almost hesitantly, she turned the doorknob. Valerie gently pushed the door open, revealing a rather shaken Phantom, collapsed against the wall.

"Phantom?" Valerie tried, tentatively. The ghost didn't reply. Slowly, she knelt beside the boy and shook his shoulders.

"Phan- Danny?" she asked.

Phantom's wide eyes slid over to Valerie.

"…I, I s-saw, saw….," he murmured incoherently. "I s-saw…"

"What are you-" Valerie started, confused.

"Th-the m-mirror, I s-saw…." Phantom trailed off, his voice becoming a hoarse whisper.

Valerie stood up and cautiously peeked into the mirror. It was….

…Just her reflection. Puzzled, Valerie turned back to Phantom.

"What? Danny, I don't understand, there's nothing wrong with the mirror,"

"B-but…" Phantom stammered, slowly coming out of his shock. He groaned, holding his head.

"Here, why don't you just lay on the couch for a bit, I'll get you a water or something," Valerie suggested, helping Phantom into a standing position. His chilly body was actually very light.

_Probably because his insides have rotted away._ Valerie thought morbidly. She shuddered.

Valerie set Phantom down on the sofa before heading into the kitchen. When she returned, the ghost looked marginally calmer than before.

She handed Phantom the glass of water, which he accepted with a tired, but grateful, smile. She herself sat down on the sofa's armrest.

"Soo…" said Valerie, "Mind telling me what happened just now?"

She was met with a blank stare.

"Huh?" was Phantom's reply, apparently completely oblivious to what had happened a few minutes ago.

"You spazzed out in the bathroom," Valerie clarified.

"I…..Did?"

"Yeah, it was something about the mirror," Valerie added. Phantom's grip on the glass tightened.

"Oh, right,"

"Care to explain?"

Phantom hesitated before nodding.

"I've been dead for five years," Phantom started, sighing. "And all this time, I guess I still haven't really come to terms with the fact that I….."

He trailed off. Valerie nodded in understanding.

Phantom sighed before continuing, "For a while after I became a ghost, I could still imagine myself alive, I could still _lie_ to myself. Then one day, I found my gravestone again, and well, that's when I knew I was really _dead_; that buried underneath that block of stone was… _me_. After that, well, reality sort of caught up with me, but I could still pretend, still fool myself."

"What was I thinking?" Phantom asked, more to himself than Valerie. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "When I looked in that mirror, I saw _me_. Black hair, blue eyes? That was me before I _died_. But it's not what I am anymore... I'm…. I'm just a _ghost_."

There was something about those two blue orbs of sadness that compelled Valerie to reach out and gently place a hand on his shoulder.

"You're not 'just a ghost'," she assured him, "You still have your emotions, you're not evil, in fact, a lot of people see you as a hero. You're not 'just a ghost', Danny."

Phantom scowled and tore his shoulder out of Valerie's grasp.

"You don't understand! You'll never understand!" he yelled, glaring with furious blue eyes. Valerie drew her hand back, stunned. "I'm _DEAD_! I've _BEEN DEAD _for more than half a decade! I don't have a pulse! I don't need to breathe! I don't need sleep or food! I don't need anything because I'm _not alive anymore_!"

The glass in his hand began to crack. Phantom paid no mind as he continued, "Don't tell me I'm not a ghost! I _died_ five years ago, they buried me in that cemetery! My body is lying underground decaying underneath a gravestone that says I died five years ago! I'm _dead_, and what am I now? A _freak_, a _manifestation of post-human consciousness_; I've said it before and I'll say it again: _I AM A GHOST_!"

Suddenly, the glass Phantom had been holding shattered, spraying them both with shards of glass and water. Phantom looked surprised for a moment before sighing, "...And nothing else."

There was a lapse of silence before he finally spoke up again.

"I shouldn't have snapped like that," he said, "I-I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have brought it up," Valerie replied. "…Soo, um, are you still up for going to the mall?"

Phantom snorted. "Yeah, it'll be fun to see how people react to Danny Fenton coming back from the grave; sure, why not?"

Valerie hopped down from the armrest, carefully avoiding the glass shards. Phantom smiled guiltily. "Sorry about the cup," he said.

"It's fine, I'll just clean it up and then we can-"

Valerie was cut off by the sound of the door being unlocked.

"Valerie I'm home!" she heard her father say. Her eyes widened.

"Oh no; my dad!" Valerie whispered frantically. She turned to Phantom and said, "Quick, go invisible!"

Phantom looked equally as panicked. "I can't! The bracelets won't come off!"

"Well then, just-!"

"Valerie?" her father asked suspiciously, glancing between Phantom (who was looking away) and Valerie. "What's going on?"

"Um, er-" Valerie stammered. Phantom cut in for her.

"She, uh, saved me from a, um, bunch of thugs," he blurted, still not meeting her father's eyes. "Which is weird because I don't even have- ah….If you w-want, I-I can leave, sir."

Damon Grey's stern expression seemed to soften a bit. "Well, why don't you stay for a while, it's getting dark out, you can stay for dinner."

"No, no, I'll just be going, I mean I don't even need to ea- um, I'll just leave," Phantom more or less stammered.

"I insist," Valerie's father said kindly. "By the way, young man, what's your name?"

"Danny F- um, just Danny," Phantom replied. Valerie felt the urge to bang her head against a wall with all the slipups Phantom was making. Obviously he hadn't been a good liar before (or after) he died.

"Well, Danny, I'm Damon," Valerie's father continued, shaking Phantom's hand. "Oh, your hand's cold!"

Phantom immediately snapped his arm back before stuttering, "W-well you know how it i-is this time of year," He the man gave a nervous smile. Something about him seemed familiar.

Then it hit him. Phantom's blue eyes suddenly filled with fear and shock as he took an involuntary step back.

"Danny?" Damon asked confusedly, as Valerie watched Phantom react strangely toward her father. Damon took a step closer to Phantom, "Is there something wron-"

Damon, too, froze up in recognition. Those eyes…. He'd seen those fear-filled eyes somewhere before…

Valerie looked between them both, perplexed.

"Valerie," Damon said absently, while grabbing his briefcase, "I forgot I, uh, had another business meeting tonight. There's some leftover casserole in the refrigerator."

With that, he hurried out the door, leaving Valerie with Phantom, who was growing paler by the second (if that was possible for a ghost).

She caught Phantom just as his legs gave out. "Danny?" Valerie asked urgently, "What's wrong?"

Thankfully, Valerie was able to understand him this time, but his reply shocked her nonetheless:

"He- he was that man at Mr. Masters' castle! He's the man who… Who..._killed me_,"

**Ahem, soo, how many of you saw that coming the moment you read Chapter 3? I'm veeerrry predictable, haha, anyways….**

**Sorry about the wait! Microsoft trial ended on me in the beginning of the chapter, but I was able to type snippets during school when the teachers weren't looking (shhh!!), but my dad found an older version of the program to use. So I finished it. **

**That said, I really hated the flow of this chapter, and my writing's a bit rusty right now.**

**Also, thanks to all my readers and reviewers for sticking with the story, and hopefully the next chapter will be soon.**

**R&R! **


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman.**

**Wow, can you believe it? Another chapter!! And just 3 weeks after the last one!**

**Chapter 6**

"_What?!_" Valerie screamed.

Phantom winced; he opened his mouth to say something but Valerie beat him to it.

"You liar!" she yelled, shoving him against the wall, "My dad is _not _a murderer!"

"Valerie, I-!"

"NO! I don't want to hear anymore of your lies! I can't believe I trusted _you_!" Red sparks formed around her fist before an ecto-gun materialized into her hand. Tears slipped from her eyes as she pressed the weapon against the ghost boy's chest.

"Valerie, please! You have to listen-!" Phantom tried again, but Valerie pinned him to the wall by his throat; he struggled weakly against her hold. The ecto-gun glowed red as it powered up. Phantom struggled a bit more vigorously, but still to no avail.

"I should've Obliterated you last time," she spat.

With that, Valerie pulled the trigger.

The blast hit him point-blank in the chest. Valerie watched impassively as Phantom crumpled to the floor at her feet. He looked up at her with pleading eyes as he writhed in pain.

Ectoplasm poured from the gaping hole in his chest, staining the wooden floor a sickly green. He pressed a silver-gloved hand to the wound, yet the green blood continued to spurt from the wound.

"V-Val-ler-ri-ie," he choked out. The rest of his words came out in an unintelligible strangled mess as the green blood began to seep through his mouth.

His plea fell on deaf ears, however; Valerie merely glared.

Phantom thrashed for a few more minutes before his movements became feebler; eventually his body went limp, and he lay deathly still, resting in a pool of his own blood.

It was a moment before the reality of what she'd done came crashing down on her. Before she knew it, Valerie found herself kneeling in the ectoplasm gazing at the bloody hole in the ghost boy's chest. His once lustrous blue eyes were glassy, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. With nerveless fingers, Valerie closed his eyelids.

She stayed there for a moment more, before finally deciding that it would not please her father one bit if he saw the living room in such disarray (especially the obvious evidence that she had been fighting the paranormal even after she'd promised she wouldn't).

Standing up, Valerie let vivid red sparks dance around her, swirling rapidly until finally, her ghost-hunting outfit appeared. She mounted her jetsled and bent down to lift up Phantom.

Valerie hesitated. He really had seemed sincere, and he appeared so human too…

_Get a grip, Valerie_ she thought to herself firmly. _He was just a ghost…_

…_And nothing else._

Valerie frowned; Phantom himself had said that, mere minutes ago, though it felt like ages.

_Just a ghost, he was just some ghost…_

Still, it really had felt like killing another person…

_No! I can't think like that! He was just a filthy lying ghost. He deserved it!_

Pushing the guilty thoughts from her conscience, Valerie hoisted Phantom's limp body onto the jetsled. An unpleasant image of a giant rag doll crept unbidden into her mind's eye, its great head lolling flaccidly as something crimson trickled out a large gash in its cloth chest. Its limbs flopped uselessly while the red liquid began spilling out through its stitched up mouth. The doll suddenly morphed into Phantom, lying in a puddle of sickly green ectoplasm as his dead eyes stared blankly ahead. An invisible force seemed to eat at his skin, and the rotting corpse of Danny Fenton emerged, shreds of cloth hanging loosely on the bony form. With a sickening crack, the skull suddenly dislocated itself. Slowly it began to roll toward her, stopping inches from her feet, where its hollow eye sockets glared at her.

The image imploded and Valerie shook her head as if to clear it from unwanted thoughts. Still, the image of Phantom writhing in pain seemed to be branded into her memory. Slightly shaken, Valerie proceeded to steer her jetsled outside.

* * *

Cool air seeped through the suit, and the serene cityscape below usually helped Valerie relax a little. 

Usually.

Tonight was different.

The lamp-like moon seemed to glower above a dark town, casting eerie shadows among the buildings. A brittle wind swirled around Valerie as she glided through the frigid skies, supporting Phantom's limp body. She tried to ignore the viscous ectoplasm still streaming out of his wound.

After a few more minutes of flying, she descended in the cemetery. Glancing around, Valerie shivered; tonight the headstones seemed to have a rather ghastly glow, while the church was a lone shadow atop the hill.

Valerie spotted the gnarled willow tree. Beside it, a marble gravestone stood, lonely and bleak.

The grave of Danny Fenton…

Valerie approached; before long, she could see the slightly worn inscriptions on the stone.

She laid Phantom to rest at the base of his gravestone.

Valerie stared coldly at his lifeless form. In the center of Phantom's chest, was the wound. It had dried slightly, save the occasional trickle of green blood. Other than that, it was coated in dry, brittle ectoplasm.

Valerie shuddered- she could see the ground right through his chest.

Upon closer inspection, Valerie realized, with a start, that Phantom seemed much more translucent than before. Already, his boots were beginning to appear misty, smoke-like trails slithering off his form before dissipating into the air. Phantom's ethereal body was deteriorating rapidly.

Finally, Valerie bent down and unlocked the Anti-Ghost Bracelets; she let his hands fall back onto the ground with a muffled _thump_.

Silently, Valerie stood and mounted her jetsled. She rocketed off without even a backwards glance.

Behind her, Phantom's ethereal form shimmered violently.

* * *

The sun slowly crept into the sky. Light overtook the darkness and glistening dewdrops shone like small diamonds. 

The rays filtered into the gradually awakening town of Amity Park, including the lone cemetery, where the grave of Danny Fenton stood, quite devoid of anything spectral, save one glittering drop of ectoplasm.

Before long, that faded into oblivion as well.

* * *

**On the bright side, it wasn't as long a wait, right?**

**(Dodges flying fruit) Okay, okay! I get it! Longer chapters next time!! (Runs off)**

**I tried to stretch out the chapter, but I don't think it went too well… Hope you enjoyed it even though it's kinda short…**

**R&R!!**


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